Himalayan balsam

After the poisonous monsters, here's a nice plant, that grows quite commonly near streams and rivers and is coming into flower now: Himalayan balsam impatiens glandulifera.

As I was taking this, a gentleman stopped to talk to me:

"Do you know, I cam along here at 7 o'clock this morning and all I could smell was ... (he's going to describe the heady fragrance of Himalayn balsam, the sugary aroma of meadowsweet) .... dog c**p"

"Oh"

"And you see that footpath there, you can't walk along it without getting mown down by cyclists"

"Ah"

"The cycle way is too narrow. When the Borough Council built this place they made terrible mistakes"

"Mmm" (He seems rather angry)

"The Borough Council is dreadful. The people who did this ought to be lined up and shot, shouldn't they?"

"Er" (I hope he doesn't think I'm from the Borough Council)

"They should never have let the market go from the town"

"No" (There's a thread here, but I can't seem to grasp it)

"The same thing has happened all over the country, they're letting the markets go from the towns. And you know what, we never learn. It makes me really angry. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yes, absolutely, quite" (No, not really, but hey, I don't want him to hit me.)

"Sorry about that"

"You're welcome" (phew - smile, friendly wave, hasty retreat to the safety of the office)

I suppose it's a matter of perspective. My lunchtime wildlife paradise is another person's dog toilet. Open space for one can be prison for another.